When it comes to surfing the internet, more people are using Android than Windows.
Although it seems that the PC side of things has been and still is dominated by Microsoft Office, it’s not the case for surfing the web while on a PC. According to a report, for the first time in history, Android topped the worldwide OS Internet usage market share for the month of March with 37.93 percent, putting it marginally ahead of Windows’ 37.91 percent share for the first time, according to a new report by StatCounter, an independent Web analytics company.
The study looked at overall Internet usage across all devices, including desktop, laptop, tablets, and mobile phones. The fact that Android, an operating system built for mobile devices, is now the most common platform individuals use to access the Internet represents a major shift in the way the world connects online, with the desktop finally being overtaken by mobile devices.
The main drivers of the transition include the increased use of smartphones to access the Internet, a decline in sales of traditional PCs, and the impact of Asia on the global market.
Although other regions, including North America and Europe, Microsoft remains in lead for the preferred OS for web surfing; Microsoft’s biggest problem seems to be Asia, where consumers prefer Android to Windows devices 52.2 percent to 29.2 percent. Given the size and continued growth of the Asian IT market, the switch to Android is likely to remain a challenge for Microsoft, even as it maintains its dominance in more developed markets.
Windows still dominates the worldwide operating system desktop market, which includes desktops and laptops, with an 84 percent Internet usage share in March. However, that might be cold comfort for Microsoft if the statistics reflect an underlying shift in the way people use their devices.
